“Dancing With the Stars” professional Jenna Johnson has suffered a painful injury just hours before taking the ballroom floor, revealing that she broke her nose during rehearsals for the hit ABC competition.
The 32-year-old dancer shocked fans Tuesday, November 10, when she shared an Instagram video showing her visibly swollen face following an accident during camera blocking the previous evening.
“So last night I definitely broke my nose during camera blocking,” Johnson explained while pointing to the right side of her face.
Despite the painful injury, the two-time Mirrorball Trophy winner appeared surprisingly upbeat as she showed followers the aftermath.
“No black eyes today, which is awesome, but if my nose looks four times the size, that’s why,” she joked, ending the video with a smile.
Johnson also poked fun at the accident in her caption, writing, “Salsa: 1. Jenna’s Nose: 0.”
The injury comes at a particularly difficult moment for Johnson, who is preparing to compete alongside actor Harry Shum Jr., 44, during the show’s highly anticipated Grammy Night episode.
The pair have emerged as one of Season 35’s strongest partnerships, earning perfect scores for their previous two performances and establishing themselves as serious contenders for the championship.
For Tuesday’s live broadcast, Johnson and Shum are scheduled to perform a salsa to a special arrangement of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ Grammy-winning hit “Die With a Smile.”
Although Johnson has not explained precisely how she broke her nose, she confirmed that the accident happened during camera blocking, when dancers rehearse their routines so production crews can coordinate camera angles and movements.
Despite the setback, Johnson has given no indication that she plans to withdraw from the competition.
Fortunately, she and Shum have already secured immunity from Tuesday night’s head-to-head dance-offs after earning the highest cumulative score of the season.
That means the couple will only need to perform their scheduled salsa rather than compete in an additional routine.
Following her announcement, fans and fellow dancers flooded social media with supportive messages.
“My girl I’m so sorry. But you look perfection as always. So proud of you!” one follower wrote.
Another fan expressed disbelief that Johnson was casually posting a video while dealing with a broken nose.
Others couldn’t resist making jokes about the unfortunate timing.
“Jenna! You’re supposed to break a leg, not a nose!” one viewer quipped.
Her husband, fellow “Dancing With the Stars” professional Val Chmerkovskiy, also showed his support, reminding her that she was still beautiful despite the injury.
The accident marks another difficult moment in Johnson’s demanding season. Earlier in the competition, she accidentally struck Shum during a rehearsal, sending him to the floor.
Nevertheless, the duo have continued impressing judges and viewers with their performances.
Johnson is expected to return to the ballroom Tuesday evening, although it remains unclear whether the injury will affect her ability to perform at full strength.
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC and Disney+, where fans will see whether Johnson can overcome her painful setback and continue her impressive run toward another Mirrorball Trophy.
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